Game apparatus



(No Model.) I

R. MQCUBDY. GAME APPARATUS.

No. 545,246. Patented Aug. 2

. UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT MOCURDY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,246, dated August 27, 1895.

Application filed April 3, 1.895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT MCCURDY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usef ul Improvementin a Game Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a novel construction of game which can be readily packed in small compass for transportation and which is adapted to be played by means of a one and balls, which latter are to be propelled through suitable arches, a record being kept of the progress of said balls.

It further consists of novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a game embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of a box in which the different parts of said game are adapted to be packed for transportation.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a game, the different parts composing the same being shown in assembled position and mounted on a suitable support or table B.

The apparatus is inclosed by the side portions 0 O and D D, which are in the present instance hinged together, and the end pieces E and F, said sides 0 and D being tied together by means of the brace G, while similar braces H, J and K are employed to strengthen the other corners of the apparatus.

L designates a centrally-located box, which has an open top and is provided with the transverse strips M, N, P, and Q, which are attached to said top, each strip being provided with holes, which are adapted to receive suitable markers or flags to be hereinafter re ferred to, each of said holes being numbered from one up to sixteen or higher, as may be desired.

It designates an arch which extends from a corner of said box L to the brace K, each of the other corners of said box having extending therefrom similar arches T, U, and W, which have their other ends in contact, respectively, with the braces G, H, and J. The long sides of said box Lhave the arches S and Serial No. 544,229- (N 0 model.)

V extending therefrom to the sides 0 and D, respectively.

X designates a box or bank contained in the box L and containing the chips Y, which are to be used as counters, as will be explained.

Z designates a cue employed, which may be of convenient or ordinary construction.

A, B, O, and D designate the balls, which are to be of different colors, as in the present instance, red, blue, yellow, and green, respect ively, each player having a dag or marker corresponding in color to the ball with which he plays, the flags A B C and D being red, blue, yellow, and green, respectively, and thus marking the progress of the ball of the same color, as will be evident. Each of the arches R, S, T, U, ,V, and \V is provided with slots or openings therethrough, which in the present instance are three in number and are numbered as follows: The arch W has the slots 1, 13, and 7; the arch V the slots 6, 18, and 12; the arch U the slots 17, 5, and 11; the arch T the slots 4., 10, and 16; the arch S the slots 9, 3, and 15, and the arch R the slots 14, 8, and 2.

The operation is as follows, the parts being seen in Fig. 1' in their assembled or operative position: Each player takes a ball and with it a flag of the corresponding color, and the object is to propel the ball through the pockets from 1 to 18 in regular order, the player receiving achip from the bank X after he successfully passes through the slots 3, 7, 10, 15, and 18, which slots "are to represent, re-

spectively, Pittsburg, Chicago, Kansas City,

Denver, and San Francisco, the player who succeeds in getting the greatest number of chips winning the game, and provided both sides finish with an equal number, then the party who first finished wins. The four strips M, N,,P, and Q, secured in the top of the box L containing the flags or markers, are intended to locate the position of each player as he progresses.

The idea of the game is that the above-dc scribed apparatus is a trolley-route across the continent and that each opening in the arches represents a station or city, each player being a tourist, the cue'the motive power, and the ball the car or other conveyance. The bank or agency X is established for the benefit of the tourist and allows rebates to each tourist who succeeds in passing through the five stations above mentioned to the amount of one chip, to which any desired value may be given. Each tourist plays alternately from starting-point for station 1. If he succeeds in passing the same he proceeds on his reg-V ular journey until a station is niissed,receiving rebates of one chip each at the five cities above mentioned. At the termination of each play the signal-flag or marker must be advanced to show the progress made on each turn of the play, and any failure to so mark such progress before the players next turn comes around is met with the penalty of losing the progress so made andplaying back on' regular line to the station, as indicated by his fiag,and such player must also forfeit any rebates he may have received in said turn not marked. The tourist may also have the option or privilege of playing on any other ball for position, either to help his partner or to obstruct opponent, with this proviso,.that he cannot play on the same balltwice Without passing through a station, any ball succes sively played on giving the player an additional shot. In case an opponent ispurposely or a partner is accidently driven back through the last station he came, as indicated on the flag, he must mark his flag back. If said station is one of the five cities above mentioned, he must return therebate collected from the same and cannot re-collect saidrebate in passing through the second time. Any tourist making all the stations on regular line, from 1 to 17, inclusive, becomes a rambler, and has the option of passing station 18 and terminating his journey or of passing back on regular line to help his partner or damagehis opponent; but if the latter should put him through station 18 said rambler loses and 0pponent gets the benefit of rebate. The tourist who completes his journey with the great est amount of rebates to his creditis the winner of the game.

It will of course be evident that the parts hereinbefore referred to may be assembled and joined in their desired positions in any suitable manner other than that shown which will come within the scope of my invention, and I do not therefore desire to be limited to the exact manner of assembling the above parts in every instance.

When it is desired to transport the apparatus the sides G and D are folded up and placed in the box L, the end pieces E and F are also placed therein, the box X and the braces G, H, K, and J occupy the position shown, and the cues, flags, arches, chips, and balls can also be placed within said box, the above parts thus being packed in a very small compass and capable of ready transportation.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is' a 1. A game apparatus consisting of a rootangular or other shaped frame, composed of sides and end pieces, braces connecting said sides and ends at each end of the corners thereof, a retangular or other shaped inclosure within said frame, arches extending from each of the corners of said inclosure to said braces and arches extending from the long sides of the inclosureto those of the frame, and balls adapted to pass through'slots' in said arches, said parts being combined substan tially as described.

2. A game apparatus consisting of a fold ing frame, consisting of hinged sectional sides and end pieces connected with said sides, braces, a box adapted to be located within said frame, archesextending from the cor- 11ers of said box to said braces, and arches extending from the sides of the box to the sides of said frame, balls adapted to pass through opening in each of said arches, and markers in said box, substantially as de scribed.

3. In a game of the character described, the jointed sides 0 and D, the end pieces E and F, the bridges R, S, T, U, V, and 7, each provided with a plurality of numbered openings therein, the central box L adapted to receive a box containing chips or similar counting devices, said box being adapted to support the apertured strips M, N, P, and Q, in which markers or flags are adapted to be placed, in combination with cues and balls adapted to be propelled through said bridges, substantially as described.

ROBERT MCCURDY.

Vitnesses:

J. A. MCCURDY, WM. (J. CLAGHORN. 

